Federico Acosta y Lara


I am a Ph.D. student in Political Science at Washington University in St. Louis.

Before joining WashU, I earned a Master’s degree (2024) and a B.A. in Political Science (2020) from the Universidad de la República (Uruguay).

My research focuses on political economy and distributive politics in Latin America, with a particular interest in how clientelism, party systems, and institutional reforms shape political behavior and representation. I also study affective polarization, especially in contexts characterized by weakly institutionalized party systems.

On this site, you can find my published work, replication materials, data, code, and other ongoing projects.

Federico Acosta y Lara


I am a Ph.D. student in Political Science at Washington University in St. Louis.

Before joining WashU, I earned a Master’s degree (2024) and a B.A. in Political Science (2020) from the Universidad de la República (Uruguay).

My research focuses on political economy and distributive politics in Latin America, with a particular interest in how clientelism, party systems, and institutional reforms shape political behavior and representation. I also study affective polarization, especially in contexts characterized by weakly institutionalized party systems.

On this site, you can find my published work, replication materials, data, code, and other ongoing projects.